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Philosophy

John White maintains that (1) the spiritual foundations of America are congruent with those of the Perennial Philosophy, which emphasizes enlightenment as the key to world peace and happiness, and (2) the Perennial Philosophy is embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, which together provide a theory and practice of enlightened government.

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With passion and playfulness, the renowned cosmologist acknowledges the precipice that humanity is teetering on while celebrating the awe of existence and the ever-present potential for profound transformation.

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A deep study of evolution shows that avoiding extinction requires an adaptive responsiveness that utilizes the capacities of the entire organism. Frank O. Smith explores how soul is configured into human adaptation.

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We learn from an early age that “to be scientific” means avoiding attributing to nature humanlike tendencies such as mind or purpose. To be “anthropomorphic” in science is a cardinal sin... Science has progressed far by expunging mind from its explanations, and anthropomorphism can indeed be a lazy philosophical position if we simply extend human attributes reflexively (and unreflectively) into the universe around us. But to go further than today’s impasse we need to re-embrace mind and ourselves as an inherent part of nature.

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Can zombies argue that they don’t exist? Empirical evidence suggests they can. Or does it? The philosophy of mind is a thriving field in recent decades, with new books and articles appearing with increasing frequency. This article is the second in an occasional series on the role of mind in the universe and, thus, in science.

Worldview

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Spirituality is a universal phenomenon. It doesn’t matter where in the world you live or what “tribe” you are a part of; you can be assured that spirituality will be a part of the psychological and social fabric of your immediate world. In fact, spirituality is central to being and becoming a healthy and well-adjusted human being. Spirituality also plays a role in enabling the evolution of individual and collective consciousness.

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Whether we call our philosophy “idealism” or “materialism” or “panpsychism,” we are trying to explain the same thing: reality, this. Some approaches are better than others, but our criteria are themselves necessarily subjective. I have highlighted empirical adequacy, logical consistency, and intellectual pedigree here, but other criteria could be used and different conclusions reached.

Worldview

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The controversy over the existence of psychic phenomena, now commonly called psi, has been raging for centuries. But it is only in the last 100 years that psychical researchers, now commonly called parapsychologists, have been mostly confined to their laboratories in order to gather experimental evidence. The anecdotal evidence is easy to question and dismiss, and so the critics have demanded – quite reasonably – reliable experimental evidence for the existence of psi. Has such evidence been provided?

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After many years of increasing investment and diminishing returns, the question we must begin to ask ourselves is, Are we using the right paradigm? Given the experimentally verified validity of quantum mechanics, I believe it’s time to seriously consider the implications for biomedical research.